US20050210827A1 - Rigid insulation product - Google Patents
Rigid insulation product Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20050210827A1 US20050210827A1 US10/798,682 US79868204A US2005210827A1 US 20050210827 A1 US20050210827 A1 US 20050210827A1 US 79868204 A US79868204 A US 79868204A US 2005210827 A1 US2005210827 A1 US 2005210827A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- insulating member
- rigid insulation
- slots
- insulation product
- joist
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Links
- 238000009413 insulation Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 77
- 239000002023 wood Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 43
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 31
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 14
- 230000001413 cellular effect Effects 0.000 claims description 9
- 239000011810 insulating material Substances 0.000 claims description 8
- 239000004793 Polystyrene Substances 0.000 claims description 6
- 229920002223 polystyrene Polymers 0.000 claims description 6
- 229920002635 polyurethane Polymers 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000004814 polyurethane Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000001913 cellulose Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 229920002678 cellulose Polymers 0.000 claims description 4
- ZFSLODLOARCGLH-UHFFFAOYSA-N isocyanuric acid Chemical compound OC1=NC(O)=NC(O)=N1 ZFSLODLOARCGLH-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 claims description 4
- 238000000465 moulding Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000001125 extrusion Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 8
- 238000009432 framing Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000003365 glass fiber Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000008595 infiltration Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000001764 infiltration Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000005259 measurement Methods 0.000 description 2
- JOYRKODLDBILNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N Ethyl urethane Chemical compound CCOC(N)=O JOYRKODLDBILNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 230000004888 barrier function Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000002131 composite material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005520 cutting process Methods 0.000 description 1
- -1 e.g. Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000835 fiber Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000006260 foam Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000003292 glue Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000003475 lamination Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000035515 penetration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000011120 plywood Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000011493 spray foam Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005507 spraying Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229920002994 synthetic fiber Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 238000009431 timber framing Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
- E04B1/00—Constructions in general; Structures which are not restricted either to walls, e.g. partitions, or floors or ceilings or roofs
- E04B1/62—Insulation or other protection; Elements or use of specified material therefor
- E04B1/74—Heat, sound or noise insulation, absorption, or reflection; Other building methods affording favourable thermal or acoustical conditions, e.g. accumulating of heat within walls
- E04B1/76—Heat, sound or noise insulation, absorption, or reflection; Other building methods affording favourable thermal or acoustical conditions, e.g. accumulating of heat within walls specifically with respect to heat only
- E04B1/7654—Heat, sound or noise insulation, absorption, or reflection; Other building methods affording favourable thermal or acoustical conditions, e.g. accumulating of heat within walls specifically with respect to heat only comprising an insulating layer, disposed between two longitudinal supporting elements, e.g. to insulate ceilings
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
- E04B5/00—Floors; Floor construction with regard to insulation; Connections specially adapted therefor
- E04B5/02—Load-carrying floor structures formed substantially of prefabricated units
- E04B5/12—Load-carrying floor structures formed substantially of prefabricated units with wooden beams
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
- E04B1/00—Constructions in general; Structures which are not restricted either to walls, e.g. partitions, or floors or ceilings or roofs
- E04B1/62—Insulation or other protection; Elements or use of specified material therefor
- E04B1/74—Heat, sound or noise insulation, absorption, or reflection; Other building methods affording favourable thermal or acoustical conditions, e.g. accumulating of heat within walls
- E04B1/76—Heat, sound or noise insulation, absorption, or reflection; Other building methods affording favourable thermal or acoustical conditions, e.g. accumulating of heat within walls specifically with respect to heat only
- E04B2001/7679—Means preventing cold bridging at the junction of an exterior wall with an interior wall or a floor
Definitions
- This invention relates to rigid insulation products for use, e.g., in wood frame construction.
- a builder will attach floor joists directly to a joist header (also known as a rim board, header joist, rim joist, rim band or band) with mechanical fasteners such as nails and wood screws.
- the builder then cuts pieces of fibrous insulation, e.g., glass fiber insulation, or rigid insulation to fit between each joist to insulate the joist header and prevent air infiltration.
- the builder will caulk along the cracks between the rigid insulation, joists and joist header.
- the builder will spray foam insulation, e.g., a sprayable polyurethane, into these cracks and other spaces where there is no rigid insulation.
- the 7′′ to 13′′ of wall height at the ends of joists tend to provide poor thermal protection, e.g., due to improperly installed glass fiber insulation that sags, air leakage through the fibers of fibrous insulation, or air leakage around cracks between pieces of rigid insulation and the floor joists where they meet the joist header.
- a rigid insulation product includes a single, unitary insulating member, dimensioned to be attached along the length of a joist header and having a plurality of slots dimensioned to receive the ends of floor joists.
- the rigid insulation product includes a pre-insulated joist header, i.e., a wood member dimensioned to function as a joist header, and a single, unitary insulating member having slots for receiving floor joists mounted on the wood member. In the latter implementation, because the wood member is pre-attached to the insulating member the builder does not need to perform the additional step of attaching the insulating member to the joist header during construction.
- the rigid insulation products discussed above act as an air barrier to prevent or inhibit air infiltration over the tops of foundation walls between floor joists and over the tops of wood framed walls with wood floor joists.
- the rigid insulation products can be quickly and easily installed without cutting and fitting and without the need for additional steps such as caulking or spraying of foam insulation.
- the products also provide a guide for installing joists on uniform centers, simplifying construction, reducing errors in measurement and speeding floor joist layout during construction. If desired, the builder can easily cut additional slots for joists that are not on center, e.g., using a hot wire blade or knife.
- the rigid insulation products are manufactured in dimensions to match conventional floor framing lumber or pre-engineered manufactured lumber uses as floor joists.
- the slots are dimensioned to match the dimensions of floor joist ends, and to provide a thermal break between the floor joist ends and the joist header. This “thermal break” reduces heat loss through conduction at the backs of the slots that receive the ends of the joists and reduces conduction from the floor joist through to the joist header.
- the invention features a rigid insulation product for use in wood frame construction, comprising a single unitary insulating member, dimensioned to be mounted lengthwise on a joist header and including a plurality of slots extending width-wise across the member, each slot being dimensioned to receive an end of a floor joist.
- the invention features a rigid insulation product for use in wood frame construction, including: (a) a single unitary insulating member, including a plurality of slots extending width-wise across the member, each slot being dimensioned to receive an end of a floor joist; and (b) a wood member, dimensioned to function as a joist header in the wood frame construction, mounted on the insulating member.
- the slots may be disposed at spaced intervals, the spacing of the slots corresponding to predetermined spacing of the floor joists in the wood frame construction.
- the member may include a wall, at the base of each slot, of sufficient thickness to provide a thermal break between the floor joist end and the joist header when the product is in use.
- the width of the insulating member may be substantially equal to the width of the joist header on which the insulating member will be mounted.
- the slots may extend across the entire width of the insulating member.
- the rigid insulation product may further include the joist header, which in such cases is pre-attached to the insulating member.
- the insulating member may include an insulating material selected from the group consisting of cellular polystyrene, polyurethane and isocyanurate, other cellular plastics, cellulose, and mixtures thereof.
- the slots are dimensioned to receive an end of a wood I-beam.
- the slots may be spaced at intervals of about 16 inches or at intervals of about 24 inches.
- the wall may have a thickness of at least 0.375 inch.
- the insulating member may have a thickness, in regions between the slots, of from about 1.0 to 3.5 inches.
- the invention also features methods of using the rigid insulation products described herein in wood frame construction.
- the invention features a method of constructing a floor of a structure, including (a) mounting an insulating member on a joist header, the insulating member including a plurality of slots extending width-wise across the insulating member, each slot being dimensioned to receive an end of a floor joist; (b) inserting the ends of a plurality of floor joists in the slots; and (c) securing the floor joists to the joist header.
- the inserting and securing steps may be performed at a construction site, and the mounting step may be performed at the construction site or at a site remote from the construction site.
- the insulating member may be formed in place on the joist header, e.g., using a process selected from extrusion and molding. Alternative, the insulating member may be adhesively bonded to the joist header.
- the slots are of sufficient depth to hold the ends of the floor joists in place during the securing step, allowing the insulating member to be used as a template. In some construction applications, at least some of the slots may be dimensioned to receive an end of a joist having an I or C shaped cross-section.
- the invention features a rigid insulation product that includes a single unitary insulating member, dimensioned to be mounted lengthwise on a joist header and including a plurality of slots extending width-wise across the member, each slot being dimensioned to receive an end of a floor joist having a C or I shaped cross-section.
- the rigid insulation product may in some cases include the joist header, which in such cases is pre-attached to the insulating member.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rigid insulation product.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an alternative rigid insulation product.
- FIG. 3 is a front plan view of another alternative rigid insulation product.
- FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of detail A in FIG. 3 .
- FIG. 5 is a framing plan for the house described in the Example.
- FIGS. 6 and 6 A are partial perspective views of a rigid insulation product with and without a pre-mounted wood member, installed over the top plate of a wall.
- Preferred rigid insulation products of the invention include slots at regular intervals designed to fit over the ends of floor joists in wood frame construction, and are of a length and width selected to match the depths of the floor joists.
- the width of the slots is selected to match the width of the floor joists.
- Rigid insulation product 10 includes an insulating member 11 , which is a piece of rigid insulating material having a length L selected to correspond to the length of a joist header to which the insulating member is to be attached.
- the insulating member 10 will have a length L from about 4′ to 24′, with length increasing in 2 foot or 4 foot increments. While it is preferred that the insulating member 11 extends the full length of the joist header, in some cases the insulating member may be shorter. For example, if desired two insulating members could be attached end-to-end along a single joist header.
- the insulating member 11 includes a plurality of slots 12 , each slot being dimensioned to receive a butt end of a floor joist. If two or more insulating members are attached end-to-end along a single joist header, one or more of the slots may be formed by two adjacent “half-slots” at the end of the abutting insulating members. Preferably, the slots are spaced at intervals of 16′′ or 24′′ and have a height H selected to match the width of sawn lumber, e.g., 7.25′′, 9.25′′, 11.25′′ or any other height that will match the width of manufactured wood that is used as joists in wood frame construction.
- the insulating member may be slightly higher than the width of the header, e.g., from about 0-2%. higher, in which case it will typically be compressed by the underlayment that is placed over the joists, resulting in a tight fit that will resist air leakage.
- the number of slots will depend on the number of floor joists used in a particular construction layout; for most residential jobs the insulating member will include at least 7 slots, e.g., the insulating member will typically extend linearly across the ends of at least 6 joists. In most implementations, the insulating member is formed of a material that may be easily slotted or cut on site, to accommodate one or more extra floor joist(s) wherever the builder deems such additional joists necessary for floor strength.
- the width W of each slot is selected to match the width of conventional lumber, typically 1.5′′, or the width of manufactured joists. To insure a snug fit of the joist into the slot, the width of the slot may be slightly less than that of the joist, e.g., by a nominal measurement such 1/16′′ to 1/32′′ of an inch, an amount that will be determined based on the compressibility of the material used for insulation.
- Each slot 12 includes a back wall 14 , having sufficient thickness (T1) to provide a thermal break.
- back wall 14 is also strong enough so that it will not break prior to or duing attachment of the rigid insulation product 10 to a joist header, i.e., the back wall is sufficiently strong so as to maintain the continuous length of each insulating member.
- the insulating member has thicker portions 16 , each having a thickness (T2) that is selected to provide a desired degree of insulation. T1 and T2 will depend on the level of insulation that is required, cost constraints, and the rigidity, density and R value of the insulation that is used.
- T1 will be at least about 0.375′′, typically about 0.5 to 1.0′′
- T2 will be at least about 1.375′′, typically about 1.0 to 3.5′′
- the depth D of the slot i.e., T2 ⁇ T1
- the thickness of the back wall 14 (T1) is generally selected to be the minimum thickness that will provide adequate insulation properties to this thermal break; if the back wall 14 is too thin, thermal properties may be less than desired, while if it is too thick it may be difficult to fasten the joists to the joist header.
- the depth D of the slot depends primarily on the desired thicknesses of the back wall 14 and the thicker portions 16 , which in turn depend, as noted above, on the thermal and structural characteristics of the insulation and manufacturing cost considerations. However, it is generally preferred that depth D be sufficient to allow slots 12 to hold the joist in place during lay-out of the floor, so that the insulating member can serve as a template to assist lay-out.
- Suitable insulating materials for use in the insulating member include rigid cellular materials including, but not limited to, cellular plastics such as expanded or extruded polystyrene, polyurethane, and isocyanurate, cellulose, and mixtures thereof.
- Other suitable materials include other natural or synthetic materials that can maintain the desired shape of the insulating member during installation and use and can offer an effective “R” value to provide a desired level of insulation.
- the insulating material will have an R value of at least about 2.5, preferably about 3.5 to 6 per inch of insulation. For some applications, it is preferred that the insulating material provide a degree of moisture resistance.
- Insulating materials that provide moisture resistance e.g., urethane insulation and extruded polystyrene, tend to be more expensive than non-moisture-resistant materials, so for cost-sensitive applications and applications in which moisture penetration is not an issue, such materials may not be preferred.
- the insulating member may be fabricated from board stock, molded, extruded, or formed into the desired shape using any other suitable technique.
- an alternative rigid insulation product 30 includes an insulation member 11 , as discussed above, pre-mounted on a wood member 20 .
- Wood member 20 may be, for example, a piece of sawn lumber, or any form of laminated veneer lumber, particle board or oriented strand board.
- the wood member 20 is dimensioned to function as a joist header in a wood frame construction.
- the insulating member may be joined to the wood member using any type of mechanical bond, for example glue lamination.
- the insulating member may also be joined to the wood member by a molecular bond, for example resulting from an exothermic reaction during any heat based forming or molding process. If desired, the insulating member may be molded or extruded directly onto the wood member.
- the minimum thickness of the wood member is generally about 0.75′′, thereby giving a combined minimum thickness of the insulating member and wood member of about 2.125.′′
- the length and width of the wood member are generally substantially the same as the length and width of the insulating member, as shown in FIG. 2 .
- the edge where the insulating member and wood member meet may be a straight edge, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 .
- the edge may be a half-lap over the joist, an extended half-lap that laps over the insulation of the adjacent piece, or a tongue and groove joint (not shown).
- the end detail of each insulating member (end portion 18 in FIGS. 1 and 2 ) may be designed with a full slot at one end and no slot at the other end to maintain on-center joist layouts, or may be a “half-lap” slot at both ends so that insulation pieces meet at the butt end of a joist.
- a typical 28′ ⁇ 40′ ranch home on frost walls or full foundation would have a floor frame of 2 ⁇ 10's 16′′ on center spanning 14′ to a center beam with a floor deck of 3 ⁇ 4′′ plywood underlayment.
- Rigid insulation products that would accommodate this floor diaphragm would be, along the 40′ long dimension of the floor, two 12′ and two 8′ long joist headers with insulating members attached.
- the insulating members and joist headers would be 9.25′′ in width to accommodate the ends of each floor joist.
- each slot 101 of insulating member 100 includes a vertical portion 102 and two horizontal end portions 104 , 106 .
- the floor joists could have other shapes, e.g., a C-shaped configuration.
- the rigid insulation products described above have been described in the context of floor framing, they can be used in other similar applications.
- the rigid insulation products can be used over the top plate 110 of a wall 112 , as shown in FIGS. 6 and 6 A.
- the horizontally extending joists 114 are received by slots 12 in the rigid insulation product.
- the rigid insulation product 30 includes a pre-mounted wood member 20 , while in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6A the rigid insulation product 10 is attached to a header 116 as discussed above.
- wood frame construction While the products described above are intended primarily for wood frame construction, they may be used, if desired, in structures that include a combination of wood framing and other materials, e.g., metal, composite, or other manufactured joists, or that are framed entirely of other materials.
- wood framing and other materials e.g., metal, composite, or other manufactured joists, or that are framed entirely of other materials.
Abstract
Description
- Partial funding for the work described herein was provided by Northeastern Vermont Development Association through a Rural Business Enterprise Grant from USDA Rural Development.
- This invention relates to rigid insulation products for use, e.g., in wood frame construction.
- In typical wood frame construction, a builder will attach floor joists directly to a joist header (also known as a rim board, header joist, rim joist, rim band or band) with mechanical fasteners such as nails and wood screws. The builder then cuts pieces of fibrous insulation, e.g., glass fiber insulation, or rigid insulation to fit between each joist to insulate the joist header and prevent air infiltration. In some cases, the builder will caulk along the cracks between the rigid insulation, joists and joist header. Occasionally, the builder will spray foam insulation, e.g., a sprayable polyurethane, into these cracks and other spaces where there is no rigid insulation. With the exception of the latter construction practice, the 7″ to 13″ of wall height at the ends of joists tend to provide poor thermal protection, e.g., due to improperly installed glass fiber insulation that sags, air leakage through the fibers of fibrous insulation, or air leakage around cracks between pieces of rigid insulation and the floor joists where they meet the joist header.
- The rigid insulation products described herein provide builders of wood framed structures, including modular home manufacturers, with a single unitary insulating member, or a pre-insulated joist header, for insulating between floor joists in the construction application discussed above. In one implementation, a rigid insulation product includes a single, unitary insulating member, dimensioned to be attached along the length of a joist header and having a plurality of slots dimensioned to receive the ends of floor joists. In another implementation, the rigid insulation product includes a pre-insulated joist header, i.e., a wood member dimensioned to function as a joist header, and a single, unitary insulating member having slots for receiving floor joists mounted on the wood member. In the latter implementation, because the wood member is pre-attached to the insulating member the builder does not need to perform the additional step of attaching the insulating member to the joist header during construction.
- The rigid insulation products discussed above act as an air barrier to prevent or inhibit air infiltration over the tops of foundation walls between floor joists and over the tops of wood framed walls with wood floor joists. The rigid insulation products can be quickly and easily installed without cutting and fitting and without the need for additional steps such as caulking or spraying of foam insulation. The products also provide a guide for installing joists on uniform centers, simplifying construction, reducing errors in measurement and speeding floor joist layout during construction. If desired, the builder can easily cut additional slots for joists that are not on center, e.g., using a hot wire blade or knife.
- The rigid insulation products are manufactured in dimensions to match conventional floor framing lumber or pre-engineered manufactured lumber uses as floor joists. The slots are dimensioned to match the dimensions of floor joist ends, and to provide a thermal break between the floor joist ends and the joist header. This “thermal break” reduces heat loss through conduction at the backs of the slots that receive the ends of the joists and reduces conduction from the floor joist through to the joist header.
- In one aspect, the invention features a rigid insulation product for use in wood frame construction, comprising a single unitary insulating member, dimensioned to be mounted lengthwise on a joist header and including a plurality of slots extending width-wise across the member, each slot being dimensioned to receive an end of a floor joist.
- In another aspect, the invention features a rigid insulation product for use in wood frame construction, including: (a) a single unitary insulating member, including a plurality of slots extending width-wise across the member, each slot being dimensioned to receive an end of a floor joist; and (b) a wood member, dimensioned to function as a joist header in the wood frame construction, mounted on the insulating member.
- Some implementations of these aspects of the invention may include one or more of the following features. The slots may be disposed at spaced intervals, the spacing of the slots corresponding to predetermined spacing of the floor joists in the wood frame construction. The member may include a wall, at the base of each slot, of sufficient thickness to provide a thermal break between the floor joist end and the joist header when the product is in use. The width of the insulating member may be substantially equal to the width of the joist header on which the insulating member will be mounted. The slots may extend across the entire width of the insulating member.
- In some cases, the rigid insulation product may further include the joist header, which in such cases is pre-attached to the insulating member. The insulating member may include an insulating material selected from the group consisting of cellular polystyrene, polyurethane and isocyanurate, other cellular plastics, cellulose, and mixtures thereof.
- In some implementations, at least some of the slots are dimensioned to receive an end of a wood I-beam. The slots may be spaced at intervals of about 16 inches or at intervals of about 24 inches. The wall may have a thickness of at least 0.375 inch. The insulating member may have a thickness, in regions between the slots, of from about 1.0 to 3.5 inches.
- The invention also features methods of using the rigid insulation products described herein in wood frame construction.
- For example, in one aspect the invention features a method of constructing a floor of a structure, including (a) mounting an insulating member on a joist header, the insulating member including a plurality of slots extending width-wise across the insulating member, each slot being dimensioned to receive an end of a floor joist; (b) inserting the ends of a plurality of floor joists in the slots; and (c) securing the floor joists to the joist header.
- The inserting and securing steps may be performed at a construction site, and the mounting step may be performed at the construction site or at a site remote from the construction site. The insulating member may be formed in place on the joist header, e.g., using a process selected from extrusion and molding. Alternative, the insulating member may be adhesively bonded to the joist header. In some preferred implementations, the slots are of sufficient depth to hold the ends of the floor joists in place during the securing step, allowing the insulating member to be used as a template. In some construction applications, at least some of the slots may be dimensioned to receive an end of a joist having an I or C shaped cross-section.
- In a further aspect, the invention features a rigid insulation product that includes a single unitary insulating member, dimensioned to be mounted lengthwise on a joist header and including a plurality of slots extending width-wise across the member, each slot being dimensioned to receive an end of a floor joist having a C or I shaped cross-section. The rigid insulation product may in some cases include the joist header, which in such cases is pre-attached to the insulating member.
- The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rigid insulation product. -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an alternative rigid insulation product. -
FIG. 3 is a front plan view of another alternative rigid insulation product. -
FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of detail A inFIG. 3 . -
FIG. 5 is a framing plan for the house described in the Example. -
FIGS. 6 and 6 A are partial perspective views of a rigid insulation product with and without a pre-mounted wood member, installed over the top plate of a wall. - Preferred rigid insulation products of the invention include slots at regular intervals designed to fit over the ends of floor joists in wood frame construction, and are of a length and width selected to match the depths of the floor joists. The width of the slots is selected to match the width of the floor joists.
- A
rigid insulation product 10 is shown inFIG. 1 .Rigid insulation product 10 includes aninsulating member 11, which is a piece of rigid insulating material having a length L selected to correspond to the length of a joist header to which the insulating member is to be attached. Typically, theinsulating member 10 will have a length L from about 4′ to 24′, with length increasing in 2 foot or 4 foot increments. While it is preferred that the insulatingmember 11 extends the full length of the joist header, in some cases the insulating member may be shorter. For example, if desired two insulating members could be attached end-to-end along a single joist header. - The
insulating member 11 includes a plurality ofslots 12, each slot being dimensioned to receive a butt end of a floor joist. If two or more insulating members are attached end-to-end along a single joist header, one or more of the slots may be formed by two adjacent “half-slots” at the end of the abutting insulating members. Preferably, the slots are spaced at intervals of 16″ or 24″ and have a height H selected to match the width of sawn lumber, e.g., 7.25″, 9.25″, 11.25″ or any other height that will match the width of manufactured wood that is used as joists in wood frame construction. If desired, the insulating member may be slightly higher than the width of the header, e.g., from about 0-2%. higher, in which case it will typically be compressed by the underlayment that is placed over the joists, resulting in a tight fit that will resist air leakage. - The number of slots will depend on the number of floor joists used in a particular construction layout; for most residential jobs the insulating member will include at least 7 slots, e.g., the insulating member will typically extend linearly across the ends of at least 6 joists. In most implementations, the insulating member is formed of a material that may be easily slotted or cut on site, to accommodate one or more extra floor joist(s) wherever the builder deems such additional joists necessary for floor strength.
- The width W of each slot is selected to match the width of conventional lumber, typically 1.5″, or the width of manufactured joists. To insure a snug fit of the joist into the slot, the width of the slot may be slightly less than that of the joist, e.g., by a nominal measurement such 1/16″ to 1/32″ of an inch, an amount that will be determined based on the compressibility of the material used for insulation.
- Each
slot 12 includes aback wall 14, having sufficient thickness (T1) to provide a thermal break. Generally,back wall 14 is also strong enough so that it will not break prior to or duing attachment of therigid insulation product 10 to a joist header, i.e., the back wall is sufficiently strong so as to maintain the continuous length of each insulating member. Between the slots, the insulating member hasthicker portions 16, each having a thickness (T2) that is selected to provide a desired degree of insulation. T1 and T2 will depend on the level of insulation that is required, cost constraints, and the rigidity, density and R value of the insulation that is used. Generally, T1 will be at least about 0.375″, typically about 0.5 to 1.0″, and T2 will be at least about 1.375″, typically about 1.0 to 3.5″. The depth D of the slot (i.e., T2−T1) is preferably at least about 1.0″, and is typically in the range of about 1.5 to 3.0 inches. The thickness of the back wall 14 (T1) is generally selected to be the minimum thickness that will provide adequate insulation properties to this thermal break; if theback wall 14 is too thin, thermal properties may be less than desired, while if it is too thick it may be difficult to fasten the joists to the joist header. The depth D of the slot depends primarily on the desired thicknesses of theback wall 14 and thethicker portions 16, which in turn depend, as noted above, on the thermal and structural characteristics of the insulation and manufacturing cost considerations. However, it is generally preferred that depth D be sufficient to allowslots 12 to hold the joist in place during lay-out of the floor, so that the insulating member can serve as a template to assist lay-out. - Suitable insulating materials for use in the insulating member include rigid cellular materials including, but not limited to, cellular plastics such as expanded or extruded polystyrene, polyurethane, and isocyanurate, cellulose, and mixtures thereof. Other suitable materials include other natural or synthetic materials that can maintain the desired shape of the insulating member during installation and use and can offer an effective “R” value to provide a desired level of insulation. Generally, the insulating material will have an R value of at least about 2.5, preferably about 3.5 to 6 per inch of insulation. For some applications, it is preferred that the insulating material provide a degree of moisture resistance. Insulating materials that provide moisture resistance, e.g., urethane insulation and extruded polystyrene, tend to be more expensive than non-moisture-resistant materials, so for cost-sensitive applications and applications in which moisture penetration is not an issue, such materials may not be preferred.
- The insulating member may be fabricated from board stock, molded, extruded, or formed into the desired shape using any other suitable technique.
- As shown in
FIG. 2 , an alternativerigid insulation product 30 includes aninsulation member 11, as discussed above, pre-mounted on awood member 20.Wood member 20 may be, for example, a piece of sawn lumber, or any form of laminated veneer lumber, particle board or oriented strand board. Thewood member 20 is dimensioned to function as a joist header in a wood frame construction. The insulating member may be joined to the wood member using any type of mechanical bond, for example glue lamination. The insulating member may also be joined to the wood member by a molecular bond, for example resulting from an exothermic reaction during any heat based forming or molding process. If desired, the insulating member may be molded or extruded directly onto the wood member. The minimum thickness of the wood member is generally about 0.75″, thereby giving a combined minimum thickness of the insulating member and wood member of about 2.125.″ The length and width of the wood member are generally substantially the same as the length and width of the insulating member, as shown inFIG. 2 . - The edge where the insulating member and wood member meet may be a straight edge, as shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2 . Alternatively, the edge may be a half-lap over the joist, an extended half-lap that laps over the insulation of the adjacent piece, or a tongue and groove joint (not shown). The end detail of each insulating member (end portion 18 inFIGS. 1 and 2 ) may be designed with a full slot at one end and no slot at the other end to maintain on-center joist layouts, or may be a “half-lap” slot at both ends so that insulation pieces meet at the butt end of a joist. - Referring to
FIG. 5 , a typical 28′×40′ ranch home on frost walls or full foundation would have a floor frame of 2×10's 16″ on center spanning 14′ to a center beam with a floor deck of ¾″ plywood underlayment. Rigid insulation products that would accommodate this floor diaphragm would be, along the 40′ long dimension of the floor, two 12′ and two 8′ long joist headers with insulating members attached. The insulating members would be cellular polystyrene with slots having the following dimensions: W=1.5″, D=1.5″, T1=0.5″, T2=2.0″. The insulating members and joist headers would be 9.25″ in width to accommodate the ends of each floor joist. - A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
- For example, the slots may be configured to receive floor joists having different shapes and sizes. In one implementation, shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4 , the slots in the insulating member are configured to receive the ends of I-beam shaped floor joists. Thus, eachslot 101 of insulatingmember 100 includes avertical portion 102 and twohorizontal end portions - Additionally, while the rigid insulation products described above have been described in the context of floor framing, they can be used in other similar applications. For example, the rigid insulation products can be used over the
top plate 110 of awall 112, as shown inFIGS. 6 and 6 A. As discussed above, the horizontally extendingjoists 114 are received byslots 12 in the rigid insulation product. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 6 , therigid insulation product 30 includes apre-mounted wood member 20, while in the embodiment shown inFIG. 6A therigid insulation product 10 is attached to aheader 116 as discussed above. - Moreover, while the products described above are intended primarily for wood frame construction, they may be used, if desired, in structures that include a combination of wood framing and other materials, e.g., metal, composite, or other manufactured joists, or that are framed entirely of other materials.
- Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.
Claims (33)
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US10/798,682 US8438792B2 (en) | 2004-03-11 | 2004-03-11 | Rigid insulation product |
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EP2857606A1 (en) * | 2013-10-02 | 2015-04-08 | E G Bygg AB | Energy efficient building |
US9249574B2 (en) | 2013-08-07 | 2016-02-02 | Edmund MEI | Structural engineered wood rim board for light frame construction |
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US11408169B2 (en) * | 2017-11-28 | 2022-08-09 | Cretice BENEFIELD | Z-shaped bracket for wood backing and fireproofing |
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US9598891B2 (en) * | 2015-03-23 | 2017-03-21 | Jk Worldwide Enterprises Inc. | Thermal break for use in construction |
US10787809B2 (en) * | 2015-03-23 | 2020-09-29 | Jk Worldwide Enterprises Inc. | Thermal break for use in construction |
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US11408169B2 (en) * | 2017-11-28 | 2022-08-09 | Cretice BENEFIELD | Z-shaped bracket for wood backing and fireproofing |
CN112663805A (en) * | 2020-12-11 | 2021-04-16 | 潍坊昌大建设集团有限公司 | Construction method of EPS module heat-insulation system of building outer wall |
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